Re: [Groff] german localization

[Werner LEMBERG]

> >.do hcode ä ä  Ä ä
> >.do hla de
> 
> Is the .do hcode essential?

Yes.  From troff(1):

       .hcode c1 code1 c2 code2...
              Set the hyphenation code of character c1  to  code1
              and  that  of c2 to code2.  A hyphenation code must
              be a single input character (not a special  charac­
              ter) other than a digit or a space.  Initially each
              lower-case letter has a hyphenation code, which  is
              itself,  and  each  upper-case letter has a hyphen­
              ation code which  is  the  lower  case  version  of
              itself.  See also the hpf request.

By default, `letters' are only a-zA-Z, so this must be set up
properly.

Note that the current development version has moved this information
to a new man page, groff_diff(7), replacing troff(1) 

> I'm inserting an "ä" and Groff realizes it.  Meanwhile I insert a
> \[Fo], Groff doesn't realize it and just prints two "<"; but then I
> make a digraph in Vim {«} ( C-K < < ), and that is recognized and
> printed.

It depends on the output tty device.  If you use -Tascii, you will get
a `<<' as an approximation since the ASCII character set doesn't
contain real guillemots.  Using -Tlatin1 or -Tutf8, `«' is the result.

> Then, what means the ".do hla de"?

Again from troff(1):

       .hla lang
              Set  the  current  hyphenation  language  to  lang.
              Hyphenation  exceptions  specified  with   the   hw
              request and hyphenation patterns specified with the
              hpf request are both associated  with  the  current
              hyphenation  language.   The hla request is usually
              invoked by the troffrc file.

The `do' request assures that this works also in compatibility mode.

> >PS: In case you are producing a hyphenation file for the new
> >    orthography please mail it to me.
> 
> This is not totally out of range.  Where can I read more about how
> to do it?  I don't understand your file, but it works well.  The
> roff documentation I have is very terse.  I'd like to read something
> more verbose...

Basically, this has nothing to do with troff -- GNU troff reads TeX's
hyphenation patterns (but without expanding macros which you must do
manually).  So, take the file `dehyphn.tex' (available from
e.g. ftp.dante.de), containing `vorläufige TeX-Trennmuster für die
neue deutsche Rechtschreibung', and do the same what I have done with
`dehyphnt.tex' (which has been called `ghyph31.tex' formerly).


    Werner